All I Need
by WriterInTheMaking101
Summary: Izzie grows too close to another patient, this time a five year old girl named Molly, who has the same heart condition Denny suffered from. As Izzie grows closer with Molly, Molly gets sicker. Eventually Alex/Izzie, Meredith/Izzie friendship.
1. Chapter 1

"Molly Nolan, five years old-"

"Five and three quarters," Molly informed Lexie. "Sorry," she said, just as quickly.

Lexie smiled. "Molly Nolan, five and three quarters old, has been in and out of the hopsital for cardiomyopathy, is on the donor list for a new heart, but has been admitted today due to dizziness and lack of appetite."

"Cardiomyopathy is caused by?" Cristina asked.

"Frequently unknown," Lexie said, "but can sometimes be caused by severe alchohol consumption, complications of childbirth or nutritional deficiencies."

"Considering the patient is five years old, Grey, I think that alchohol consumption and complications due to childbirth is an unlikely factor in the patient's case." Cristina said drily.

"Where are her parents?" An intern asked, presumably McAsshole.

"Molly's parents," Lexie said quickly, "passed away two years ago. Molly is living at Social Services currently."

Cristina let her eyes flicker briefly to Molly, who was biting her lip, before she nodded once and moved onto the next patient's room. Cristina wasn't a feelings person, so she wasn't going to think about this little girl all alone in that hospital room, with a heart disorder that could kill her at any given moment.

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"So get this," Alex said, "today, I get some woman who went skiing with a bunch of her friends. They went out way beyond the boundaries, where you ski at your own risk or whatever, and while they're out there, skiing, this huge ass avalanche hits, buries three of her four friends, killing all of them, apart from her. So, the woman flips out, right, doesn't try to dig them out, doesn't try to do anything to help them, she just skis down the freakin' hill so she gets out of harm's reach."

"I'll raise you one pyschotic skiier for my five year old cardiomyopathy patient," Cristina offered.

Alex whistled and Meredith raised her eyebrows. "Holy shit." Alex said. "Five?"

"Yeah. She's on the donor list, has been since she was like four."

"That's terrible," Meredith said, biting her lip. "Five?" She asked again.

Cristina nodded.

"Anyone told Izzie?" Alex asked.

"Izzie? This is my case, evil spawn," Cristina said.

Alex rolled his eyes. "Denny, he died from cardiomyopathy."

Cristina considered. "I never told her," she said.

Meredith shrugged. "She's scrubbing in on a surgery for polyostotic fibrous dysplasia, for a girl who's like sixteen years old."

"Bitch," Cristina growled.

"Seriously?" Alex demanded. "I'm stuck with physco skiier, you get a five year old with cardiomyopathy, Izzie gets polyostotic fibrous dysplasia. Meredith? You got anything good?"

Meredith pouted. "I'm the one you should be feeling sorry for. I'm in the pit, teaching my poor excuse for interns to suture, attain a positive bedside manner and remove lice. What a load of crap."

Alex laughed and stuck out his tounge. "Haha."

"You're immature, you know? Like really sadly immature."

"I know," Alex said. "I stopped maturing around nine."

"Jesus. You must have been a very perverted nine year old."

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"It was just.. it was unebeliavable Alex. This girl, she was sixteen! She's had this tumor.. god you should have seen it." Izzie stuck her hands out as far as they'd go. "Her face, was like that. It was awful, it really.. but then after. She could breathe and talk, and you'd swear that nothing had ever been done," Izzie shook her head and a took a heaty bite out of her apple. "It was amazing."

"You done bragging now?" Alex asked.

"Maybe," Izzie laughed. She rambled on for a minute more. "Now I'm done." She cracked her fingers. "Seventeen hours though. Damn. Did I miss anything?"

"Hardly." Alex shook his head. "You should get some sleep," he told her. "Today you're operating on a chick with polyostotic fibrous dysplasia, tomorrow you.. I don't know. What's better than that?"

Izzie smiled. "Not much. You're right, I'm tired. See ya tomorrow," she said, before heading out the hospital. At the end of the day, there was people that thought being a surgeon was a selfish, time consuming job that required a cold, heartless kind of person. But Izzie knew different. Because when you could give a sixteen year old girl a new face, transform her life, in seventeen hours, you certainly were not selfish, cold or heartless.

Izzie pulled up into Meredith's driveway, shut her car door and stuck her key into the door before kicking it open with her foot. Meredith was sitting on a stool at the table, a bowl of what looked to be soggy Cheerios in front of her.

"Hey Iz," Meredith said, smiling.

"Hey," Izzie dropped her purse on the couch. "Good day?"

"It was okay. I spent the whole day in the pit," Meredith made a face.

"Oo," Izzie sad. "I hate the pit."

Meredith nodded. "Me too. Heard you had an insane surgrey."

Izzie shrugged. "Yeah. It was nothing."

"Oh whatever. I know you want to brag about it." Meredith said, pushing halfheartedly at her Cheerios.

"I do," Izzie said, "but I'm being paged." She stuck out her bottom lip.

"Oh poor Izzie," Meredith said sarcastically. "Scrubs in on a once in a lifetime surgery and then has to return to the hospital, because she is Super Surgeon."

"Shut up," Izzie laughed, already on her way out the door.

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"Stevens," Bailey said. "Meet Molly Nolan. Cardiomyopathy. Yang is normally on her, but Molly's five years old, alone and you're.. you're not Cristina. So she is officially your patient."

Izzie nodded slowly before entering Molly's hospital room. Molly was sitting up in bed, holding a ragged looking teddy bear. Her hair was curly and strawberry blonde, her face pale and tired. She was sucking on her thumb but instantly tore it out of her mouth at the sight of Izzie. She waved shyly.

"Hey," Izzie smiled. "I'm Doctor Stevens, but you can call me Izzie, if you want."

"I'm Molly. I'm this many years old" Molly held up five fingers. "You're really pretty," she told Izzie.

Izzie smiled. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. I wish I had pretty blonde hair like you. My Mommy used to have that color of hair, only she died in a car accident."

"I'm sorry," Izzie said.

"It's okay. I was real little. But I miss her sometimes. I get lonely. I live in Social Services. There's some mean kids there," she told Izzie. "But I have a best friend, her name is Ellsie. Only she got adopted last week, so we never see each other no more. She said that her Mommy and Daddy would adopt me to, but they didn't want to. Do you have a best friend?" Molly asked.

"I do," Izzie said. "I have a few very good friends."

"You're lucky," Molly said. "My Daddy used to be my best friend. We went for ice cream a lot, and we went skating too. I think. I don't remember too good."

Izzie's heart broke into a million little pieces. "What's your bear's name?" She asked.

"Wesley. He's in love with me," she said.

"Really?" Izzie laughed.

"Really. Lots. Only we can't get married, on account of he's a teddy bear and I'm a real human. And plus Lucy, a girl in Social Services, says I'm too old for teddies. I don't beleive her," she confided to Izzie.

"Don't listen to her. I slept with a teddy bear until I was seventeen."

Molly giggled. "Holy moses."

They settled into a comfortable silence, lasting a few minutes, before Molly spoke again. "This hospital stinks a little. No offence, Doctor Stevens. But hospitals scare me real bad. They're bad places."

"I don't think so," Izzie said. "Hospitals help people, to get better."

"Sometimes, but they didn't make my Mommy and Daddy get better, so I don't like them. Plus I'm always alone."

"Not anymore.I'll be here for a while."

"When I wake up?" Molly asked, her voice shaking a little.

"When you wake up."

"Pinky swear?" Molly said.

Izzie pinky swore, and then had an unexplainable urge to kiss Molly's forehead. She did, and then tucked the blue blanket under her chin. "Night, Molly."


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys. So in the evident lack of intelligence, and also because I haven't written a Fan Fiction in what feels like forever (I've been on a semi hiatus, insane school work thing and being sick) I forgot to include any sort of author's note or disclaimer, sorry about that! I know that I haven't waited a while to put up the second chapter, but I already have 14 pages written so I might as well put them up. Just a little note that Alex and Izzie will get together eventually, but it wouldn't be Grey's Anatomy if there wasn't tons of angst, arguments and tears, now would it?**

**Iheartalexnizzie: Thanks so much! I like Molly too :) I'm glad you do as well, since she's a pretty important character.**

**A-Cheery-Melody: Thanks for the review! I really appreciate it. Haha well you'll just have to wait and see. I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

Izzie was awoken with a giggle. Molly, was perched on the edge of her bed, Wesley on her lap, making funny faces at Izzie. "Sorry," Molly laughed.

"You're not sorry," Izzie smiled sleepily.

"You're right." She said. "Thank you. For staying."

"I pinky swore, didn't I? You hungry?"

Molly shrugged. "Hospital food's yucky. It tastes like dirty old socks." Molly made a face. "Plus, I should be outta here soon, right?"

"We're not sure yet, sweetie."

Molly nodded. "Okay," she said quietly. Her thumb self consciously went into her mouth. The door opened, and Bailey appeared.

"Hey Molly!" Bailey said, smiling widely. "Izzie treat you okay?"

Molly nodded. "Yup. I like Izzie lots and lots. She's nice."

"How much did you get paid to say that?" Bailey asked.

"Five bucks," Molly giggled. "Just kiddin'" she said.

"Good. Izzie has to go now, for a little while, she hasn't slept in a while. But would you like her to come back later?" Bailey asked. Molly nodded vigorously.

"Yes pleasy cheesy," she said.

"Alright, sounds good." Izzie said goodbye to Molly, pinky swore to come back, and then left with Bailey.

"God," Izzie murmured, lifting her hand to her cheek. "She's.."

"I know. We can.. I know.. it was what Denny had. You don't have to, Izzir If you don't want to."

Izzie shook her head briskly. "No. Keep me on the case. Please."

"Alright. Get some sleep Stevens. You look like you need it." Bailey said, thus dismissing Izzie.

Izzie passed George as she was leaving the hospital. She waved to him sadly. He smiled at her. "Hey Iz," George called, "nice work on the polyostotic fibrous dysplasia surgery. Everyone's talking about it."

"Thanks George." Izzie waved goodbye and left the hospital. Normally, she'd savor a few hours of sleep, but home on the couch, the remote in her hands, flicking through cheesy Primetime soap operas and reruns of Maury, filled with screaming men and sobbing women, all Izzie could think about was Molly. Molly, who was all alone in that hospital room, waiting for a heart to find her.

And it all felt too familiar to Izzie. Too much like Denny. All that waiting, loneliness, love, brokenhearted, bathroom floor. So Izzie flicked the TV off, ran a brush through her knotty blonde curls and went back to the hospital.

"Izzie?" Izzie turned around, and saw Alex, pushing a shaky older woman, with tinted purple hair, in a wheel chair.

"Hey," Izzie said, yawning.

"Iz," Alex said. "You've been here for like three days straight. Go home."

"Nope. I'm well rested," Izzie assured him, stifling another yawn.

"Yeah," Alex said sarcastically. "You look the picture of health."

"Hey," the woman poked Alex in the shoulder. "Hurry the hell up. I'm supposed to be playing bingo tonight, but with all you clowns deciding to open me up, Gloria will have to go alone."

"Mrs. Patterson," Alex said, smiling at Izzie, "you have very advanced lung cancer. It's in your best interest to have this surgery now."

"Yeah, yeah," she waved her hands away dismissively. "But Gloria will have a cow if I'm not there."

"Alright Mrs. Patterson." Alex said. "Then let's get you into the OR, get rid of your cancer and we'll have you playing bingo with Gloria soon."

"I don't beleive you," Mrs. Patterson said. "That's what they told my friend Mable. She came out minus a friggen foot!" Alex made a face to the top of Mrs. Patterson's head.

Izzie giggled. "Mrs. Patterson, I can assure you that you won't come out minus a foot."

Mrs. Patterson shrugged. "So," Alex asked, "where are you heading now?"

Izzie bit her lip. "Molly. This little girl, with," she swallowed. "Cardiomyopathy."

Alex nodded. "Sucks," he said.

"Excuse me," Mrs. Patterson said, "would you please stop talking to your girlfriend long enough to consider the fact that I need surgery in order to play bingo with Gloria."

"She's not-"

"Whatever. I've heard it all before. Let's go." Alex gave Izzie a smile, before wheeling Mrs. Patterson into the elevator.

Izzie stopped for a moment. Sometimes she wondered why she let herself become so attatched. In between drunken rages and hungover mornings, she used to tell Izzie that she'd never become a doctor. "Not because you're no good Cricket. Because you'll be in love with all the damn patients, and want to make their lives better. You'll never surive when they die."

Izzie sometimes thought about calling her mom, telling her she was wrong. "I fell in love with Denny Duquette. We were going to get married. He proposed to me, and then I cut his LVAD wire, he got a new heart, and I changed my dress three times and then he died. And it sucked, really bad. But I survived." It would make no sense at all to her mother, but she wanted to tell her sometimes. Just like when she became a resident. She wanted to call her mom and tell her that just because she'd been raised in a trailer park, beat up by the majority of her mother's boyfriends, and paid her way through medical school by being an underwear model for Bethany Whisper, didn't mean she couldn't pass her internship at Seattle Grace Hospital and become a resident. Just because of all that, didn't mean that she couldn't save a girls face, save someone's life. Many people's lives.

Izzie shuddered, trying to erase memories of lonely nights and bruises from men that sometimes were old enough to be her granfather. She took the stairs to Molly's room, and found her in almost the same position she'd been in last night, except that Wesley was sitting beside her, and there was a **Life **magazine propped up on her knees. She was staring at it with crinkled eyebrows, her lower lip sticking out a little bit.

"Hey Molly," Izzie said. She suddenly felt like an idiot for showing up here.

Molly looked up and waved. "Hi."

"What'cha reading?"

"I don't know. One of the nurses gave it to me, 'cause they thought I looked lonely. But I don't know how to read. Plus this is a boring magazine. I like books, buc'xept I like looking at the pictures." Molly gave up and let the magazine fall to the floor. "Don't you do other stuff? Like surgeries?" Molly asked, playing with Wesley's paw.

"Nah," Izzie said. "Mostly I just creep out the patients."

Molly laughed. "They pay you to do that?"

Izzie smiled. "I do surgeries, so many surgeries that I'm supposed to be at home for a little while relaxing."

"Then why aren't you? With your best friends?"

Izzie smiled at Molly's conception of best friends. "They work here too. And I wanted to come see you!"

Molly thought about this. "You feel sorry for me, don't you?"

Izzie was taken aback by this. "It's okay," Molly said. "I just want you to know that you don't have to come here and talk to me and stuff, just 'cause you feel sorry for me. Just so you know."

Izzie took a deep breath in. "I do feel a little sorry for you, Molly. Because I think it must suck, to be really young, and to be all alone. And I also think you're a really special little girl, that doesn't deserve to be sick and alone. So I want to sit here with you and let you know that you're not alone, and that things do get better. Okay?"

Molly stuck her thumb in her mouth and nodded. "'Kay. So, who's your best friend?"

Izzie laughed, but Molly looked hurt, so she straightened her face. "I don't really have a very best friend."

"How come?"

"Well, I used to. His name was George-"

"Ewey gooey. Your best friend was a boy!" Molly exclaimed.

Izzie remembered that Molly was only five. She nodded. "Yup! When you get a little bit older, boys aren't so ewey gooey."

"If you say so."

"So, we were best friends for a pretty long time, but then some stuff happened that made us not so good friends."

"Did he take your cookie at lunch time? Once, my friend Stacy did that to me, she took it right from my napkin, and I didn't talk to her all day."

"Well," Izzie said, "I guess you could say that I took his cookie away from him."

Molly wagged her finger. "That's not nice. Does he hate you now?"

"I hope not," Izzie said. "I really hope not."

"I don't think he hates you," Molly told her. "You're too nice to hate. So do you have any other friends? Girls," Molly smiled.

"Well I have a friend named Alex, he's a boy too-"

"Oh brother. You didn't take his cookie too did'ja?" Molly asked.

"Not exactly. We like each other very much, but he isn't exactly my best friend. And he hasn't been acting too nice to me lately. He sort of took my cookie I guess. Meredith, she's a girl you'll be happy to hear, she's my friend. But not my best friend."

"Why not?"

"She has her own best friend." Izzie said, regretfully realizing how immature she sounded.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean that just 'cause she has her own best friend, that you two can't be best friends as well," Molly said.

"I guess so," Izzie said.

"That all?"

"Hm..Cristina is my friend too, but we're not best friends either. Her best friend is Meredith."

Molly nodded wisely. "Dr. Stevens, it sounds a little to me, like you're real lonely too. Because you have friends, but you took one of their cookies, the other one's being mean to you, and Meredith and Cristina already got each other. Are you lonely?" She asked.

Izzie thought about it for a minute. "I guess I am."

"Well, we can both be lonely together," Molly declared. "Okay?"

"Sounds good to me," Izzie said. And they pinky swore on it, because this seemed to be their thing.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey everyone! Thank you for the reviews, I'm glad everyone seems to be enjoying the story so far :) I'm really enjoying writing Molly, if you haven't read a few of my OC stories and other Grey's ones, I love writing children's characters. Enjoy the chapter and the new episode tomorrow! I'm so excited.**

**Haller: Thanks so much for the review and for reading my story!**

**!!: !! !! I will. Thanks for the review!**

**Chocalate is gawd: I agree with you on your name :) Thank you! I love Alex and Izzie too. I actually think I'm starting to develop an unhealthy obsession regarding their relationship.**

**Iheartalexnizie: Thank you :) I hope I'm not making Molly seem too smart and unrealistic, but I know a couple five year olds that are almost as mature/smart as Molly. Yeah, I considered just having them be together at the beginning, but it's so fun to write all the buildup. **

**Fangirl44: Molly is pretty sweet :) I hope you enjoy this chapter! **

**Village Voice: haha yeah she definitely is. **

**A tattered rose: thanks again for your review. This chapter came out different than I thought, but next chapter, there's some changes with Molly, not like she turns physcotic or anything, but showing a more flawed side of her. **

Izzie was quiet. They all noticed it, at dinner. It was a rare evening that the three of them (Alex, Izzie and Meredith) both ate dinner together. Izzie had cooked for them, made spaghetti, garlic bread and some kind of pavlova for dessert. Izzie had intended it to be a fun dinner, where three friends ate together and talked. But it hadn't turned out that way.

"So," Meredith cleared her throat. "Iz, this is really good."

Izzie smiled. "Thanks." She tried to find something to say, but could think of nothing so she retreated back into silence.

"How did Mrs. Patterson's surgery go?" Izzie asked, only because she looked at a deck of cards that was lying on the table, and thought for some reason of bingo and Mrs. Patterson.

"Fine," Alex said. His brief stage of being nice to her seemed to have passed and was replaced once again with asshole Alex. He poked his spaghetti.

"You not like it?" Izzie asked. "You don't have to eat it."

"I've had better," he said, as he twirled a few noodles around his fork.

"Great," Izzie said brightly. "I'm glad you appreciate it."

Meredith shot Alex a Look, before turning her attention to Izzie. "My mother never used to cook," she said, "so I appreciate a homecooked meal." She said this as though she was trying to make up for Alex not appreciating it.

Izzie smiled at Meredith. "Mine neither," she said. "Used to cook I mean. By the time I was three I was an expert at Alphagetti though." Izzie had meant, once again, for it to sound lighthearted but it ended up sounding more pitying and self-induldged than funny.

"Well, I'm going to go," he said. He took one more bite of his spaghetti and pushed the plate with the tip of his finger sort of towards the dishwaser. "Bye."

The door shut and Izzie dropped her fork with a clatter. "He just.."

Meredith waited patiently for Izzie. "He makes me sad," she said. She'd been going to say angry, only sad came out instead. "And angry too. Because.. I don't know. I think I might.. I think that I might like him more than just a friend, maybe. Like him enough to one day, love him, or something. And I sort of... I thought he felt like that too, but he clearly hates me intensely and would probably rather I just fell off a building than **be **in the same building as him." Izzie was surprised how much it hurt to talk about Alex. She was also surprised that she was talking to Alex about Meredith.

"Izzie," Meredith said carefully, "Alex.. I don't know, maybe I'm crazy but I think.. he loves you. A lot. And don't ask me, if he loves you, why he's such an ass. Because I don't know. It doesn't make sense. What should happen is that he should treat you right, because that's what you deserve, and you should go out together and eventually get married. But sometimes Iz... I don't know. Things don't end up the way they should, and people like Alex, they're not always good.. at the feeling thing I guess."

"Do you think it's bad?" Izzie asked suddenly. "That I could like Alex. As more than a friend? Because of Denny? It.. it hasn't been that long. Since he died." Izzie fought to keep her voice under control, to keep tears from leaking into her eyes.

Meredith touched Izzie's arm gently. "Iz."

"Y-yeah?" Izzie asked. She was digging her nails onto her legs, making half moon circles. She would not break down in front of Meredith. She would not.

"It is perfectly okay. It's normal and healthy and Denny.. he wouldn't want you to be sad all the time, and to never go out with anyone. Okay?"

Izzie sniffed and a few tears dripped off the end of her nose. Meredith moved her hand to Izzie's back. Izzie didn't know what was going on. Tears fell into the spaghetti, and Meredith rubbed her back.

Izzie realized that sometimes it wasn't that bad to collapse and have someone catch you. Because for a long while, Izzie hadn't had anyone to catch her. So she didn't collapse, for fear of falling. But it felt good to know that sometimes, people were there to catch you. You just had to be willing to fall.

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"Hey," Molly stage whispered. She'd gotten to be very good at stage whispering. The man across the hallway from her looked up. She waved at him. "Could you come here please?" She asked. "And thank you." The man waited a minute. He put down the big binder he had in his hands, and stuck his head into Molly's room.

"What's your name?" Molly asked. She used to be really shy and she used to never talk to anyone, but after she got sick she wasn't so shy anymore. She wasn't sure why. Wesley told her it was because when she got sick she got superpowers to talk to people she didn't know.

"I'm Doctor Karev."

"Yeah, but what's your first name?"

"Alex."

"Do you know someone named Izzie?" Molly asked. "She's real pretty and has white hair."

Alex nodded. "Yes I do."

"Okay. Well I just thought I'd let you know she's in love with you." Molly sucked on her thumb a little but and watched what Alex looked like after she said that.

"She was here yesterday, vistin' me. And she told me about her friends, you and George and two girls. And how George used to be her best friend only she took his cookie, and how she really likes you only you're mean to her. And I don't think it's very nice to be mean to people, and I think that if Izzie loves you, then you should love her back, 'cause my Mommy and Daddy loved each other only they got killed, so they didn't get to love each other long enough. So I think if you find someone that loves you a real lot, you should stay with them forever and be nice to them and not mean."

"She told you all that?" Alex said.

Molly nodded. "Yup. She said that you guys like each other, only you're mean to her, and she thinks you hate her. And she's sad about it, you can just tell. That's all." Molly smiled at Alex. "Thanks."

Alex bit his lip. "Molly?"

"Uh-huh?"

"Do me a favor?"

"Sure."

"But don't tell Izzie."

"Okay."

"I don't hate her."

"Then why are you mean to her?" Molly asked. "It doesn't make any sense."

Alex thought about it for a minute. "I don't know."

"Well are you sorry you're mean to her?" She asked.

"Yes. I am."

"Maybe you should just tell her that," Molly said.

"Maybe I will."

"Okay."

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Molly was talking to Wesley, only it wasn't working like it used to. She used to think that Weslsey really understood her, but maybe Lucy from Social Services was right. Maybe Wesley was just a stuffed bear that didn't understand a word she said. But she was trying to make believe like he was real, for just a little longer, when a girl stuck her head into Molly's room. It seemed to Molly that people kept sticking their heads in.

"Hey, Molly."

Molly waved. "What's your name?"

"Meredith."

"Ohh.. do you know somebody named Izzie?" Molly asked.

Meredith nodded. "Yup. Izzie's the doctor that's staying with you at night, right?"

"Yeah."

"Do you like having her stay with you?"

"Oh yeah. She's probably my best friend right now. But a doctor came in here today and he told me that they're gonna send me back to Social Services soon, and I don't want to go back, because thne I'll never see Izzie again."

Meredith considered this. "Sure you will," she said. "Izzie will come visit you."

"Nuh-uh. That's what everybody **always **says. And no one ever comes."

"Izzie will come," Meredith assured her.

"How do you know?"

"Because.. because she's Izzie."

"Okay," Molly said, seemingly content with this answer. "Hey, Meredith?"

"Yeah?"

"Is Izzie your friend?"Molly asked.

Meredith smiled and nodded. "Doctor Stevens is one of my very good friends."

"Okay... like your best friend?"

"You could say she's like my family," Meredith said.

"Okay. Thank you. Have a good day," Molly smiled and went back to talking to Wesley.

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"Hey Alex," Meredith said, plunking her salad onto the table beside Alex.

"Hey," Alex nodded at her. "Did.. have you been to see Izzie's patient?"

"Molly."

"Yeah. Did she.. when I went to see her, she.. I don't know. She asked me if I liked Izzie, and she said that Izzie was in love with me, only she thinks I hate her. Who the hell tells a five year old that?"

Meredith shrugged. "It's true."

"I know, she's always so damn unpro-"

"No, Alex. Not that part. The part about her thinking you hate her? She does. No freaking wonder."

"What? Come on, I'm hardly-"

"Alex. You're mean to Izzie. And really, I'm getting sick of it and sick of you, and if I feel that way then who knows how poor Izzie feels," Meredith said, stabbing a leaf of lettuce.

"Meredith. Seriously." Alex rolled his eyes.

"Alex, seriously."

"I am not mean to Izzie."

"Yes you are."

"Did she tell you that? Did she say, her Meredith, Alex is really mean to me?"

"She told me that you make her sad," Meredith said, instantly regretting this and realizing that Alex would probably go get pissed off at Izzie, thus making Izzie pissed off at Meredith.

Alex went silent, then looked as if he was about to say something when Cristian sat down. "Damn it," she said.

Alex rolled his eyes. "What's wrong with you now?"

"Barbie stole my patient."

"Molly?"

Cristina thought. "Hm.. yes. Probably. The cardiomyopathy one?"

Meredith nodded.

"Yeah, Molly. She stole her," Cristina made a face and bit down on sandwich.

"Cristina, Izzie didn't really _steal _her, Bailey asked Izzie if she'd take care of Molly."

"Why? Why would she do that," Cristina said. "Really. Tell me."

"Maybe-"

"Okay, when I say tell me I don't actually mean tell me."

"Maybe," Alex said, "it's because Izzie's good with kids, she cares about them and not just how good their surgery will be."

Cristina poked Alex in the forehead. "Meredith, you disagree don't you? I am marvelous with children. I'm a freaking kid magnet, I'm a maternal motor."

Meredith raised her eyebrows. "A maternal motor?"

"Whatever. You disagree?"

"Cristina.." Meredith said. "It.. I don't know. Izzie is good with kids."

"Yeah, but so am I!"

Alex laughed. "Whatever, physco cardio godess."

"Whatever... Evil Spawn."

Alex poked Cristina back in the forehead. "Evil Spawn thing is old. You need a new nickname for me."

"No. It suits you. So anyway, whatever, even if Bailey did give her Molly, she could have said no, Cristina is her doctor."

"She's not an idiot," Alex said. "She might care more about the patients than you do, but she's not going to pass up a cardiomyopathy case to make you happy."

"Well." Cristina settled into a huffy silence, because she couldn't argue with Alex on that. It brought a welcome quiet to the table, an unusual quiet, but a quiet nonetheless.


	4. Chapter 4

**So I don't know if my last chapter sucker, or if you guys forgot about me, but I only got two reviews for my last chapter. How sad :( But I know you guys were still reading, which is great, as long as you're enjoying the story!**

**Izziefan: Thank you so much! I'm a massive fan of Izzie. She is my favorite character on the show, although a lot of people keep telling me how selfish she is, I don't see it at all! I hope we see more Meredith/Izzie friendship, I think they are two really good friends but it mostly seems to be Meredith and Cristina that they show as having the stronger friendship. **

**Ebinky: Thank you very much, I'm glad you're enjoying the story! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own a single thing.**

"Izzziiiieee," Molly moaned. "Where are we going?"

"I'm not telling you," Izzie said. "Or else it won't be a surprise."

"But, you gotta tell me. I have ants in my pants. And I might explode, 'cause I hate surprises."

"Molly, this is a very good surprise. Trust me. And it's exciting, you want to keep it a surprise. Because you'll get to think about all the great things it could be."

"Is it an elephant?"

"No."

"Are you taking me to Florida?"

"No. Now put these on."

"Hold the bus. What are they?"

"Earmuffs. If you hear, it'll give away the surprise. You won't be able to hear or see, which might be a little scary, but trust me. It's worth it."

"Fiine." Molly giggled. Izzie slipped the earmuffs over Molly's ears and gently lifted her out of her wheelchair, putting her in the car and buckling up her seatbelt.

Izzie had asked the Chief for special permission yesterday, to take Molly to the park. At first, he'd said no, over and over. "Doctor Stevens," he said, "you do realize this is a working hospital. You have interns and multiple other patients? And while you are away, numerous things could happen to this little girl, and you will be held responsible for it? And do you also realize that if you are away and there is a crisis, if there are many surgeons needed for many surgeries, and you are not there when you are needed, that this is a problem?"

And then she'd warmed him up. "Doctor Webber," she'd said, "Molly Nolan is a five year old girl living in Social Services. Her parents are dead. She has no friends. Once a week, a woman named Candy takes them to the playground across the street, for thirty five minutes. There are two slides, a small jungle gym and a few swing sets. There are approximately forty kids taken to the park on that day. Kids that are older than Molly, bigger and stronger. Kids that will push her off the equipment because they want a turn. She's five, Chief, and she never gets to play."

Chief had taken a moment, a few moments actually, to think about this. "Fine, Stevens. But I swear, if anything happens to this little girl while you are away, there will be no second chances given. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir."

And now they were pulling up in front of the park. There were a few toddles their with their mothers, throwing sand at each other, a couple sitting on a bench, and a dog owner playing pass with her golden retriever, but apart from that, the park was empty. Izzie was glad that it was empty, because she wanted Molly to be able to play like a kid should.

Izzie took of Molly's earmuffs and undid the bandana. "Ta da," she said.

Molly's mouth dropped. She looked up at Izzie and a smile spread across her face. "Do.. do I get to play here?" She asked, disbeleif in her voice.

"You sure do."

Molly squealed and hugged Izzie tightly. "Thank you. It feels like I haven't been to the park in three billion years!" Molly exclaimed. Izzie laughed.

"Well go nuts."

And so Izzie played like Christmas and then some. She played tag, she played hide and seek, she played store and house and school. She chased Molly, pushed her on the swings, made choo choo trains with her down the slide. An hour later, she had a handful of paper scraps with phone numbers from mothers, each telling Izzie they were looking for a nanny. Izzie smiled. "I'm a doctor," she told them all.

"Well, in your free time you know... my Morgan, she's no trouble at all."

Izzie laughed and turned back to Molly. "You ready to go Moll?"

Molly nodded, a little out of breath and Izzie clapped her hand to her forehead. "Shit," she murmured. Morgan's mother raised her eyebrows and backed away.

"Molly? Can you breathe okay?"

Molly held up her index finger. "Just... wait. A second," she panted.

Izzie bent down so she was eye to eye with Molly. "I'm sorry," she said. She don't know how th the hell something like that managed to slip your mind, about Molly having cardiomyopathy and getting breathless after minor activites. Something as small as walking upstairs could leave you gasping for air.

Molly shook her head. "I'm fine Izzie. Don't worry."

"No, Molly, it's not fine. I should have known, not to. I shouldn't.."

"Izzie, you silly," Molly said, touching Izzie's cheek with her little fingers. "Don't cry."

Izzie laughed and took Molly's hand. "Alright. Let's go."

They got back in the car. "Hey, I don't hafta wear earmuffs do I?"

"No. You know we're going back to the hospital, so it won't be a big surprise."

"Alright." Molly sighed. "Thanks again, Izzie. I used to go to the park lots, before the accident, but after that.." Molly's sentance drooped off. "You know," she said softly. Izzie nodded.

"I know."

"I wish that it hadn't happened," Molly said. "I used to make bargains with God sometimes, and tell him that I wouldn't mind losin' all my hair and living on the street, and being poor and ugly, if he'd bring Mommy and Daddy back. Only, he didn't listen too good, 'cause they haven't come back yet." Molly sighed a little and flicked the window.

"I'm sorry."

"I hate when people say they're sorry." Molly said bluntly. "Because they didn't even **do **anything. Because sorry means I won't do it again."

Izzie nodded. "Okay."

"Anyway, I don't care," Molly told Izzie. "'Cause God is dumb. He doesn't listen to anybody."

Izzie figured there was more coming. She was right.

"Daddy used to take me to church every stinkin' Sunday and I hated it, only I never told him. But God is dumb. He does dumb stuff and makes dumb things happen." Molly kicked the back of Izzie's seat. "Sorry," she muttered.

"It's okay," Izzie said easily.

Molly stayed quiet for the rest of the ride home. Izzie wondered if the park had been such a good idea after all.

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Molly's Mommy used to watch soap operas. She watched them after dinner. They had funny names, like General Hospital and All My Children. Sometimes Molly sat on Mommy's lap and watched them with her, and Mommy used to put the TV on mute at the bad parts. Molly thought they were pretty stupid, but she never told Mommy, because Mommy liked them.

Seattle Grace Hospital sort of reminded Molly of a soap opera, not in a good way. There seemed to be people arguing a lot. There was always people being rushed in on stretchers, and doctors yelling things at other doctors. Sometimes there was other kids, but it was adults a lot of the time.

To Molly, Seattle Grace was a big soap opera, that wasn't silly like Mommy's were. Molly just wanted it to be over. She just wanted to leave. Not because she was crazy on going back to Social Services.

But she missed her own bed, and she missed real food. She missed other kids. And she was also jealous. Of Izzie, and her friends. Because even though Izzie was a grown up person, it seemed like she had an exciting life. She had friends, and she got to go places. And she was always happy.

Molly found it strange that Izzie could be so happy, and she could be so unhappy. A doctor ran by her room, yelling something about blue. Molly stuck her tounge out at him on the way past. "Haha," she said.

And then she threw Wesley across the room, because he couldn't talk anymore, and Lucy was right. He was just a stupid bear.

**GAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGA**

"Hey!" Izzie said to Molly. She'd brought her a bar of chocolate, an Aero.

"Hi."

"Where's Wesley?"

"Wesley's stupid," Molly said. "I throwed him out."

"Why?" Izzie asked. "I thought he was in love with you."

"I made that up, Izzie. He's a teddy bear. He can't be in love with anybody."

"Sure he can," Izzie sat down on the chair beside Molly's bed.

"Nuh-uh."

"I brought you chocolate," Izzie said, offering the bar to Molly.

Molly shook her head. "I hate chocolate."

"Really?" Izzie said. "That's weird. I thought everyone loved chocolate."

"Nope." Molly shook her head.

"Okay," Izzie shrugged. "I guess I'll eat it," Izzie said, slowly unwrapping a corner of the chocolate bar. "Mmm. It smells yummy. Yummy, yummy chocolate. I can feel the bubbles! You sure you don't want any?"

"Yes," Molly said. She turned head head away, so that Izzie wouldn't see the tears that fell down her cheeks.

Izzie settled back into the chair and put the chocolate bar on the table. "Did you put Wesley in the garbage?"

Molly wiped her nose. "Yes."

"Do you want him back?"

"**No **Izzie. I don't want him back. Besides, my stupid Daddy gave me that bear, and he left me all alone, so I don't want it." The truth was, Molly wanted Wesley back more than she'd wanted anything in her life. "Can you please go away, Izzie? I'm very tired."

And when Molly heard Izzie leave, she cried, big sobs that made her hospital gown get wet. Because Molly hadn't really wanted Izzie to leave. She'd wanted her to stay, and tell her it was okay, that she'd get Wesley back and they would find her a heart and they'd bring her Mommy and Daddy back.

**GAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGA**

"Jacob Simons, age thirty four, fell approximately sixty feet when his partner Lucille drove their car off the edge of a cliff. Is currently unconscious, possibly suffering from brain damage, has two broken legs, a broken arm, and is missing all his front teeth," Audrey, one of Izzie's interns, reported.

Izzie nodded, and led her interns into Molly's room, surprised to find that the hospital bed was empty. Her first thought, after being a doctor and cronic worrier, was that Molly was dead. "W-where is she?" Izzie asked, pretending like she couldn't care less.

"Molly Nolan went back to Social Services this morning, Doctor Stevens."

"What?"

"She went back," the intern said again. "To Social Services."

"I heard you the first time," she said coldly. "Do any of you know why?"

One of them shrugged. Audrey offered, "She didn't need to be here anymore. She's only five, Doctor Stevens, maybe she got lonely."

"Yes, Vreeland, I believe I'm aware that the patient is only five years old. She was, after all, my patient.Let's go."

Audrey made a face behind Izzie's back and jabbed Carl in the shoulder. "I saw that, Vreeland."


	5. Chapter 5

**So, who had a complete aneurysm after Thursday night's episode? The end, with Alex and Izzie? I jumped up and down for about five minutes straight :) I'm sorry, but I'm just about to go over to my friend's house so I don't have time to answer any reviews, but I will in the next chapter. Thank you so much to everyone who is reading the story, whether they are providing feedback or not, I really appreciate it!**

**Have a good weekend everyone.**

"She's gone," Izzie said quietly, admist Cristina and Alex arguing about who was stuck with the crappier patient. "Gone," she said, a little louder this time.

"What?" Cristina said to Izzie absentmindedly.

"Molly. She went back to Social Services. We went into her room today, and she was just.. gone."

Cristina and Alex stopped arguing. Cristina took a sip of her water, while Alex scooched closer to Izzie. "I thought.. I was.." Izzie's face reddened.

"Iz, what?" Alex asked.

"It's stupid," she said. "I just thought that she'd stay for a while, and then she'd get a new heart and after a while, if no one had gotten her, from Social Services.. that I might adopt her. Or something. Only now she's gone." Izzie shrugged and bit a small corner off her pizza.

"Iz.." Alex said.

Izzie bit her tounge and took another bite of her pizza. "It's fine. I have to go," she said, standing up abruptley, chucking her pizza into the garbage can. She quickly tied her blonde hair into a messy bun and then headed for Jacob Simon's room, all the while trying to pretend like she could care less about the five year old girl with the broken heart.

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"Hey! Hey. You!" A lady with dramatic blonde curly hair waved her manicured nails at Izzie.

"Yes?" Izzie said, taking in a deep breath. "May I help you?"

"Well, why the hell not," the lady laughed, as though she'd just told Izzie the funniest joke. "Do you mind if I light one?" She asked, holding up a cigarette.

"Yes," Izzie said. "I do mind. You're not allowed to smoke on hospital property, ma'am."

The woman rolled her eyes. "Man, you people are tight."

"Is that all?"

The woman shook her head and stared longingly at Jacob's empty bed. "Where's my husband?"

"Are you Lucille?"

The woman looked surprised. "No. I'm Katerina. Who the hell is Lucille?"

"Oh," Izzie said quickly. "I must be mixed up with a different patient. Katerina, your husband is in for a CAT scan, to make sure he doesn't have any brain damage."

Katerina nodded. "What happened to him exactly? No one in this goddamn hospital will tell me anything."

"Mrs. Simons, your husband's car was driven off a cliff. He fell sixty feet, and is still unconscious."

"Will he be alright?" Katerina asked.

"We hope so. Doctor Shepard, probably the best neurosurgeon in the country, is taking very good care of your husband. We'll let you know any updates as soon as they come," Izzie assured Katerina.

"Alright," Katerina fumbled with her cigarette. "Listen, I'm gonna go out for a minute, okay? I'll be back."

Izzie nodded. "Okay."

Katerina left the hotel room, and Izzie sunk deep into the chair that Katerina had been occupying. "Um.. Doctor Stevens?" Jimmy, one of Izzie's interns, was standing cautiously at the hospital door. "Ms. Voigt, she wants you to talk her through her surgery, before she goes in. She's very worried," Jimmy said.

"Surgeons do not say um, Manders," Izzie said, standing up.

"Okay," Jimmy nodded. "No more um. Got it."

Izzie stared for a moment, half concerned, at Jimmy, before leaving the room to find Ms Voigt.

**GAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGA**

"Iz?" Meredith said, giggling. "Derek!" She said. "Stop it. The phone's still on," she informed him.

"Yeah?" Izzie called.

"Someone's on the phone for- Derek!" Meredith burst into another fit of giggles.

"Got it," Izzie said, cringing. "Hello?"

"Hello, is this Isobel Stevens?"

"Yes, it is," Izzie muted the TV.

"This is Karen Zwakenburg calling from Social Services. I'm calling in regards to Molly Nolan? She's five years old, she was recently in Seattle Grace Hospital, she said that you were her doctor and-"

"Yeah," Izzie said softly. "That's me."

"Okay. I just wanted to tell you that you seem to have worked wonders with Molly. She was always so quiet, she wouldn't talk to anyone and when she did.. well," Karen laughed one of those fake high pitched laughs, "it wasn't always the kindest things."

"Molly Nolan?" Izzie said in surprise. "She was so sweet when I was with her."

"Yes, well that's what I'm calling about. She's talking now, talking to everyone, and she's just the nicest little girl. You'd hardly believe it, if you knew what she was like before, it's a complete transformation. We owe it all to you, we're just so grateful," Karen said. "And we just thought you'd like to know that Molly's coming back to Seattle Grace in three days."

"Is she okay?" Izzie asked.

"Oh yes, she's wonderful. You see," Karen's voice trembled, with excitement or tears, Izzie could not tell. "They've found her a heart."

"Ohh," Izzie breathed. Her face broke into a smile. "Oh," she said again. "That's so wonderful. Will you tell her, please, how happy I am for her? And that I look forward to seeing her. That's amazing," Izzie said.

"I certainly will. She's very excited to see you too. It's very nice to talk to you, Isobel. Please come visit Molly anytime you like."

Izzie said goodbye and hung up. She unmuted the TV. She knew she should be happy. She should be absoloutely over the moon thrilled. And she was, a huge part of her was. But another part couldn't help thinking of Denny. And how he'd died just after getting his heart. The seventeen year old boy that had been in a week ago. His body had rejected the heart. He'd died two days after. Izzie closed her eyes. She wanted Molly to get this heart. She really did. But she didn't want anything bad to happen to her. And she wanted that more than she wanted her to get a new heart.

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"Molly's coming back," Izzie announced to George, seemingly out of the blue.

George studied Izzie for a second. "That's good, right?" He asked uncertainly, tipping his beer bottle back into his mouth.

"Yeah," she said. "They found her a heart. Which is good."

"It must be pretty bad," Geroge said. "For her to get a heart. Sometimes it takes years."

"I know," Izzie murmured. "It is pretty bad," she corrected him. "I don't think," Izzie pieced her words together carefully, "that if something happens to her. I don't think that I can.. that I could get through that. Again. With Denny I.. it still hurts, George. I think that people forget that it hurts, but it does and if she.. if the heart doesn't work or if she.. gets sick.. I don't know."

George nodded and nudged Izzie gently. "I know," he said. "I don't forget, Iz. About Denny."

"Okay," Izzie said. "Thanks, George."

"What? For the beer?" George joked.

"Nah," Izzie smiled. "For everything. You were.. I don't know were, are, my best friend. And you were there a lot, more than I was there for you. And I don't really think.. that I ever said thank you."

"You didn't have to, Iz," George said. "That isn't the kind of thing you have to say thank you for. I mean.. if I saved your life, that might be worth a thank you. But just being a friend? That comes with the package."

Izzie sighed, and smiled, a little sadly. "You're cheesy, George. But I like it."

"Alright," George said. "Cheesy's good with me."

Izzie relaxed a little and asked Joe for another beer.

**GAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGA**

"Stevens," Bailey said. "Molly is back. She's getting the new heart tomorrow afternoon. She needs to have a couple of tests done first, I'd like you to go to her room and do that, but more than anything, reassure her. She's only five, Stevens, she's scared and she's getting a new heart tomorrow."

"Yes, Doctor Bailey."

"And Stevens?"

Izzie turned around on her heel. "Yep?"

"Social Services called the hospital. Good work."

"Thank you," Izzie said. She tried not to let Doctor Bailey see the huge smile that spread across her face.

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"Boo!" Izzie said. She jumped into Molly's room, her hands behind her back.

Molly jumped a little, and smiled excitedly. "Izzie!" She said. Izzie noticed a change in Molly. Her breath was raspy, her face even paler than before. She reminded Izzie of Denny, just before the surgery. Molly held out her arms to Izzie.

"I've got a surprise for you," Izzie said in a sing song voice.

"Bleech. I haate surprises," Molly said teasingly.

"It's a good surprise. Pinky promise with cherries on top."

"Ookay."

Izzie took her hands from behind her back and produced Wesley. Molly's mouth fell open. "Wesley!" She cried. She took the bear in her arms and hugged him tightly, planting numerous kisses on the top of his head. Molly turned to Izzie and hugged her, Wesley's head under Izzie's armpit. "Thank you Izzie," Molly said. "And also, I'm sorry. For gettin' mad at you. It wasn't very nice."

"It's okay, Molly. Sometimes we all do things that aren't very nice."

"I'm getting a heart, right Izzie?" Molly asked. "That's what Karen told me, and she said it was gonna make me better, and I could run around like all the other kids," Molly smiled, revealing a space where a tooth once was.

"That's right."

"So it'll make me all better? For sure for sure!"

"Well Moll.. not for sure for sure. Probably, but sometimes things happen with the heart. Like maybe sometimes the heart doesn't like the body it's in, so it won't always work."

Molly bit her lip. "Oh," she said.

"But it probably will. I bet you anything, this heart will make you all better, just like Karen says."

"When the accident happened," Molly said, "a doctor and a social worker told me that my Mommy and Daddy would probably get all better. But they didn't. Probably isn't always very good," Molly said softly.

Izzie was going to say she was sorry, when she remembered that Molly hated that. "Moll," Izzie said. She reached over and squeezed her arm. "I wish that had never happened to you," she said, which was a round about way of saying sorry, but Molly was only five.

"I know. Me too," Molly said. She smiled at Izzie. "So, when the heart works, you'll be able to take me to the park? And I won't feel all icky sicky after?"

"That's right," Izzie said. "You could run a marathon if you wanted, all around Seattle. And you'd feel just fine."

Molly sighed contetedly. "That sounds nice," she sounded the way Izzie's mom used to sound, when she talked about winning the lottery. "Someday, Cricket," she said to Izzie, "I'm gonna win with one of my scracth cards, and I'll buy us a big house, just like them rich people. And you'll have all the dresses you want."

"It sure does," she exclaimed. "So how's Mister Wesley doing?"

"Well, he was a little mad at first," Molly explained, "about me throwin' him out. But he's okay now, 'cause he knows I only did it in a fit of rage." Molly giggled. "That's something Michael, at Social Services says. He sometimes goes a little koo koo, and then after he says sorry, that he did it in a fit of rage."

"You're somethin'," Izzie laughed.

"Yep. I know. So are you. You're sumpthin'."

"Sumfking."

"Someythingey. I win," she said,

"Fine," Izzie put her hands up in surrender. "You win."

"I always win the Word Game," Molly told Izzie. "Always always always. Falways."

Izzie stuck her tounge out at Molly and stared down at her pager, which was beeping. "Listne Moll," she said, "I have to go. One of my silly interns needs me. But how about I bring you some dinner later on? And maybe a couple of books? With pictures in them."

"Okay," Molly smiled and wrapped her arms around Izzie. "See ya soon. Wesley says thanks again for rescuin' him from my fit of rage."

Izzie smiled and shook Wesely's hand. "You're very welcome," she told him. "Bye, Molly."

"Bye, Izzie."

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Izzie was in the gallery, her heart pounding. She tried to think of other things. Of elephants, muffins, a toaster. But she couldn't. She just kept staring at the table, where Molly was lying, her eyes closed and her chest open. It was Doctor Shepard and Cristina down there, operating on her. Izzie had wanted to scrub in, but she knew that it was probably a better idea not to. The gallery door opened up and Meredith walked in.

"Izzie," she said, "there you are."

"Yeah."

"How's it going?" Meredith asked, sitting down besie Izzie.

"I think.. it's going okay," she said.

"She'll be alright Iz," Meredith said.

"You don't know that. Not for sure."

"Yeah, you're right. But I do know.. that they wouldn't allow a little five year old girl, who has no parents, really has nobody until you came along, to die. Maybe an old woman, who's married and has love all around her, blah blah blah. But not Molly."

"But it happens all the time," Izzie whispered. "Kids die. It's the good people that die, Mere, not that bad ones. How many times do you hear of serial rapists dying from cancer? It doesn't make any sense, how that works."

Meredith nodded. "I know. It doesn't make any sense. But sometimes, a lot of the time actually, things just don't make sense. We're doctors. That's the way it goes."

Izzie's pager went off. "Shit," she said, standing up. "It's Jacob Simons." Izzie bit her lip.

"I'll stay," Meredith offered. "I'll page you if- when it's over."

"Thanks Mere," Izzie said, smiling.

"No problem, Iz."


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks so much for the reviews everybody! I hope you all have a great weekend and enjoyed Grey's last night. I know I sure did. So sad, with Denny and his old heart. I can't wait for next week! "Let me help you." Oh boy :)**

**I almost did something really mean to you guys. So super uber mean that you probably wouldn't read my story. As a general hint, it sort of involved killing Molly. But then I had a change of heart, as you will be glad to know.**

**ebinky: Yeah, I was thinking about that, the fact that Izzie would be busy so often, that poor Molly would probably end up living with babysitters! I thought it would be nice though, just a nice fleeting thought, and because Izzie seems like she might be the kind of person to hope she could do something like that, adopt Molly. **

**Greysdays13: haha don't worry, it's coming. I love Alex and Izzie so much. Like to the point where I have an unhealthy obsession with them hehe. **

**Haller: Thanks so much! Oh me too :) I was jumping up and down, like I said and my brother was like "CREE! What are you doing!"**

**VillageVoice: Thanks for the review! I'm sorry about that, I realized that after I posted it. I meant it to be Erica Hahn but it slipped my mind. Thanks for pointin' it out, enjoy this chapter!**

**Izzygeorge: Thank you very much! I take this to be a huge compliment, because I am a huge fan of your writing, especially Shades of Grey. The whole scene with Cristina receiving kitchen appliances? It absoloutely killed me and they should put it on the show.**

**IloveHarryPotter17: That makes two of us :) I'm really enjoying writing this story, and I love Molly. There is something about young children I just love to write. Thank you for your review!**

**  
Disclaimer: Blah blah blee bla. I don't own anything.**

"Doctor Stevens," Katerina stood up. Her hands were shaking a mile a minute. "Thank God you're here. My husband.. he doesn't remember who I am. He's awake, but he doesn't know who the hell I am."

Izzie nodded briskly. "Katerina," she said, her voice soothing, "when did your husband wake up?"

"About five minutes ago. Please," she said, her eyes filling with tears, "you've got to help him."

Izzie walked into the hospital room. "Mr. Simons," she said, smiling warmly, "my name is Doctor Stevens."

"Why the hell am I in a hospital?" He asked, tugging at the IV in his arm.

"Mr. Simons-"

"And who are you?" He asked, pointing accusingly at Katerina. "Where's Lucille?"

"Mr. Simons," Izzie tried again. "You've been in an accident. A car accident. You fell from a very high distance and hurt your head very badly. We believe you're suffering from memory loss, which is a very normal thing to have occured when you've been through an accident like this. This," Izzie gestured to Katerina, "is your wife. Her name is Katerina Simons."

Jacob screwed up his face. "What the f-"

"Jakey," Katerina said, clumps of mascara falling down her cheeks in watery drips, "don'tcha remember me?"

"Where the hell is Lucille!" He yelled again. "I want Lucille."

"Jacob," Katerina sobbed, "who is Lucille."

"My girlfriend, you asshole!"

"Mr. Simons," Izzie said, stepping in between Katerina and Jacob. "What year is it?"

"It's 1996. And I want my goddamn girlfriend."

"Mr. Simons, please calm down. We're going to get Lucille for you, and then we're going to run some tests, okay?"

Jacob nodded. "Fine. Do whatever you want. Just get me Lucille and," Jacob pointed, "get **her **out of here."

**GAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGA**

"George, have you seen Izzie?" Meredith asked.

"No," he said, "why?"

"No reason," Meredith said quickly. "But if you find her, tell her I need to see her."

"Ookay," George said, wheeling a middle aged man into the elevator.

Meredith paged Izzie, tapping her foot up and down quickly. She massaged her temples and flexed her fingers. She had counted to a hundred and forty eight when Izzie appeared.

She swallowed the lump in her throat.

"Meredith," Izzie could barely speak. "Is she okay?"

"Iz, she's.. she's alive."

"But is she okay?"

"Iz.. the surgery. It didn't go so well. They don't know.. exactly what happened, because they gave her the immunosuppressants, before the surgery and they thought it would be fine, but.. they think her body rejected the heart. It was severe, and.. the damage to the heart, is bad."

"But," Izzie licked her lips, "but it takes.. it takes time to develop, doesn't it? There are biopsies and test and symptoms and.. it doesn't happen right away."

"She's young," Meredith said. "That may have something to do with it. Her old heart was so out of shape, and her body took a bad beating. You can come see her, if you want."

Izzie shook her head. Tears clouded her vision. "Will.. she be okay?"

"We don't know, Iz. C'mon," Meredith held her hand out to Izzie and led her towards the elevator. It was a silent ride up. "Do you want me to wait here?" Meredith asked.

Izzie shrugged. "I don't know."

"Okay. You can go," Meredith said. "I'll be right here."

Izzie nodded. Molly was holding tightly onto Wesley. "Izzie?" She said slowly, her breath raspy.

"Hey," Izzie smiled and hugged Molly. She would not allow herself to cry in front of a five year old. "How are you?"

"I don't know," Molly whispered. "I feel bad. My chest hurts and." She took a breath. "I feel like I been running for a long time."

"I know," Izzie told her. "Sometimes that happens. But we're going to make you better, okay?"

Molly nodded. "Yeah. But you said. That I'd feel brand new. After the surgery."

"I'm sorry."

Molly's lip trembled. "It's okay. It isn't your fault. It just happens." A tear rolled down her cheek.

"No, Moll. It doesn't just happen. It isn't fair."

"I know," Molly said. "But people always tell me that life isn't fair. I think." Molly took a deep, gaspy breath." Maybe I haven't been listenin'."

Izzie sat on the edge of Molly's bed, and was surprised to find that Molly had crawled into her lap. A shaking hand reached up and twirled a strand of Izzie's hair. Izzie gently put her arm around Molly's shoulders, and for what was probably the first time in a long time, Molly cried into Izzie's shoulders, and was able to act like a little kid. Molly's strawberry blonde curles mixed into Izzie's blonde ones.

Izzie cried too. She cried for Molly, who was alone and little, and didn't deserve any of what was happening to her. She cried for Hannah, her own daughter, who was sick. She cried for Denny, and herself. When they pulled apart, Molly laughed, a feeble laugh, and poked Izzie's cheek gently.

"We're babies," she said. "But sometimes that's okay."

"Yeah," Izzie agreed. "Sometimes it is."

**GAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGA**

"Iz," Alex nudged her awake. Her eyes flew open. She was tired, oh so tired, but she was used to it. She'd been on call thirty six hours straight and not been allowed to sleep once. Sleep when you can, where you can was the motto surgeons lived by.

"Yeah?" She said. Her voice cracked and she wiped sleep from her eyes. "Crap," she jumped up. "Is it Jacob Simons? He woke up and they think he's got a-"

"It's not that, Izzie. It's Molly."

"What? Shit, Alex she's not-"

"No, she's alive. Don't worry," Alex said. "But you might wanna sit down."

Izzie sunk into the chair and turned to Alex. She swallowed. "Please.. if it's about her heart, I don't."

"Iz, Molly's grandmother came this morning at one thirty. I don't know.. the full story, but she says she hasn't been in contact with her daughter for years, and all of a sudden she wanted to mend ties, and came to their house and found a new family living there. She.. she wants to take her home, soon. Out of Social Services."

Izzie didn't know why she started to cry. Because this was a good thing for Molly. Molly had been alone for a long time, in a house fill of broken children. She deserved to have a home and a family. But tears cascaded down her cheeks. She also did not know why she let Alex pull her into his arms. Rationally, she should have pushed him away, told him to screw off and never come back. But Izzie had never been the most rational person. She let Alex hold her tightly, stroke her hair.

"What.. what about the surgery?" Izzie said quietly, wiping her nose. "What about her heart?"

"She's sick, really tired and sick. But she's on the LVAD machine. She's on the top of the transplant list. They're hoping a heart will come in soon. A nice Christmas present, maybe." Alex said, his voice kinder and softer than Izzie had heard it be in a long time.

"Yeah," she said. "Why didn't this lady know her own daughter was dead?" Izzie wondered.

"I don't know, Iz."

"I think," Izzie said, her head resting on Alex's shoulder, "that the world is a really messed up place. I like to try, sometimes. And believe that it all works out, one way or another. But I don't see how you can think that, because of everything that happens. The people that get sick, and the people in countries that don't have any food. All that. And the people that are rich and happy. It doesn't make sense. It doesn't balance out.

"I used to go to church, every Sunday," she said. "I loved it. And I just believed in God, and I didn't question it. But.. you have to wonder, don't you? If God is supposed to be this just, great almighty person that never does any wrong.. how the hell does he let stuff like this happen?"

Then Izzie stayed quiet for a little while, and Alex did some talking. "Iz," he said, starting off slowly. "I don't know, what to tell you. Because I agree. The world, I think, is a shitty place. Shitty things happen to people that don't deserve them, and all the ones that get everything handed to them, on a silver plate? They're fine. I think, maybe you just have to accept it. That it sucks and it's unfair. But it happens. And about God? I don't know." Alex itched his chin. "My parents never took me to church. I think," he offered, "people believe in God because of that kind of stuff. All the awful stuff. Because if you don't believe in something, you'd go crazy, thinking about it all."

"Can I see her?" She asked Alex.

He nodded. "Sure. Go on in. Page me if you need me," he kissed the top of Izzie's head as she went into Molly's room.

Izzie pushed the door open slowly. She had that feeling you get when you fall asleep on a train ride that's just short enough to make you feel unrested and just long enough to make you feel disoriented and groggy.

A woman was sitting beside Molly. An older woman, but not as old as Izzie had expected. She had greying hair, but there was patches of dying blonde in it, and though her skin was wrinkled, Izzie could tell she had been beautiful once. Maybe she still was a little beautiful. The woman was knitting and watching carefully as Molly slept.

"Hi," Izzie smiled. "My name is Doctor Stevens. I've been working on your grandaughter's case for a while." Izzie tried to appear as though she hadn't just been crying.

"Ah, the famous Izzie Stevens," the woman smiled. Her voice was crisp and clear. It reminded Izzie of a catolouge, the catolouges her mother used to receive in the mail. They were new, fresh and when you flipped the pages, they smelled exciting and a little like Christmas. "Molly never stops talking about you. The minute I got here, it was Izzie this and Izzie that," the woman said, though not unkindly.

"Yeah," Izzie said modestly. "Molly.. she's amazing. You're very lucky to have her in your life."

"She hasn't been in my life. My daughter, Katherine, we had a disagreement. She became pregnant with Molly when she was young, only nineteen. The father.. her husband, he promised he'd take care of her and the baby. I didn't believe them. I kicked her out and I guess.. they didn't do so poorly."

Izzie's heart hurt. She was being fed too much information at once. Everything was too fresh. Denny, the cardiomyopathy. Talk of unsympathetic mothers and shotgun weddings.

"I missed them, I really did. But I was so angry and hurt. And when it finally occured to me to talk to them.. of course it was too late. The hospital told me they were killed in a train accident. They were crossing in the car and it stalled and... the train hit the car. They said it was probably a very quick death. Which is good, you know."

"I'm sorry," Izzie said. "I'm very sorry. For everything that happened to you and your family."

"Thank you," the woman nodded. "My name's Greta, by the way."

Izzie nodded. "Hi Greta."

"So, what's wrong with her, exactly? They gave me a bunch of fancy schmancy doctor talk, but I didn't understand a word," Greta put down her knitting.

"Molly has cardiomyopathy. It's a heart disease, that basically causes the heart muscles to deteriorate. It's pretty serious, and sometimes the patient can be put on an LVAD machine, which helps the heart pump blood, which Molly's on now, because her body rejected the heart and she's.. she's not doing so well. Molly was put on a transplant list, for a new heart, and she got one, they operated just a few hours ago, but like I said, her body rejected it. We gave Molly something called immunosuppressants, which is supposed to stop this from happening and normally," Meredith explained, "it does. It usually works very well. But it didn't work for Molly. So now-"

"She needs a new heart," Greta finished.

"Exactly. But there aren't always hearts just sitting around waiting to be put in people's bodies. So we have to wait," Izzie explained.

"Okay," Greta murmured.

"I know it's hard to hear, and I know it must be awful for you, getting here and she's sick."

"Yeah, it sure is," Greta folded her hands. "I just feel so guilty, you know? Because if I hadn't been so stuck up and full of myself, I could have apologized to Katherine and Sam, because he was a good boy. He really was. They were both such good kids. Doesn't it kill you? To think about the difference a few seconds makes? If they had left the house seven seconds later, maybe they would have hit three red lights and the train wouldn't have hit them. They would still be alive-"

"And you wouldn't get to see your grandaughter," Izzie sat down beside Greta.

"I would, eventually."

"Maybe not," Izzie said. "Because she would still be sick, regardless of Katherine and Sam dying. Maybe she would eventually get too sick and you'd never get to see her."

Greta sighed heavily. Izzie squeezed her shoulder. "I know. So you can't drive yourself crazy thinking about what might have been," Izzie said. "You've just got to remember what is, okay?"

"Okay," Greta nodded. "I think you're in the wrong proffession," she joked. "You ought to be a motivational speaker, not a doctor."

Izzie smiled and stared at her pager. "I have to go now, another one of my patient's needs me. But please, when Molly wakes up tell her I'll be here soon."

Greta picked up her knitting. "Will do, Izzie. Thank you."

*

Meredith picked at her sweater. "I think God hates me," she told Cristina."

"No," Cristina said. "God hates me."

"You don't even believe in God," Meredith said.

"Whatever. The world hates me."

"Wanna play whose life sucks more?" Meredith asked.

"Yes please," Cristina said.

They were interupted by Alex who nearly knocked a teenager with bad acne over on his way to them. "Listen," he said, "Molly needs a heart. Fast."

"Alright," Cristina said. "We'll just magic one up out of nowhere! Ah! Here we are."

"Yang, stop it. Molly's grandmother is here, she wants to take Molly back to Ohio after she's better. But I don't think, the way things are going that she's going to get to take her home. Molly is sick. Really really sick and she's on an LVAD machine with a shitty heart. So she needs a heart. And I'm not **telling **you to magic one up out of nowhere for her. I'm just saying, that if we don't find Molly a heart, she is going to die." Alex turned on his heel. Meredith stood up.

"Alex!" She called after him. "Where's Izzie?"

"She was with Molly," he said. "I don't know anymore. Probably with her patient, the one who fell sixty feet and thinks he's eighteen."

"I have to go," Meredith said to Cristina.

"Fine. Go. I'll finish the game with the wall. Or Lexie! Lexie's life is pretty pitiful right now. I'm sure she could use some tormenting."

"Cristina," Meredith said. "Don't."

*

Meredith stuck her head into the supply closet. It was one of many she'd been sticking her head into over the past five minutes, trying to find Izzie. "Izzie?" She said. "Hello?" She was about to shut the door, when she heard she heard something shift. "Iz?"

The person sniffed in response. Meredith squinted, and saw Izzie sitting on the ground. Her head was leaning back on a shelf of towels, her eyes staring up at the ceiling. "Alex told me about Molly," she said, sitting down.

"When I was sixteen," Izzie said, so quietly that Meredith had to strain to hear, "I had a baby. A baby girl named Sarah. I gave her up for adoption and last year.. when we were still interns, her parents came back. Her adoptive parents. They named her Hannah. She had leukemia and I gave her a bone marrow transplant, but they wouldn't let me meet her. She was tired. This.. I thought this might be my chance. To show I wasn't a horrible person for having a baby when I was sixteen. I was trailer trash and I thought with Molly.. that I could bring her home and she would be mine and it would be like the thing with Hannah or Sarah... like it hadn't happened.

"Only now her grandma is here. And her grandma, Greta, she's such a sweet person. She deserves to take Molly home, because they are blood. But I'm a selfish bitch and I.. I can't help being upset about it. That she gets Molly and I don't. And that Molly is sick. She might die. Alex didn't let on, but she might. I know she might, because heart rejection normally takes days, but for her it took.. what. An hour? And she doesn't **have **a heart, not a good one."

"Oh Iz," Meredith put her arm around Izzie.

"I'm an awful person," Izzie said quietly.

"No. You are not an awful person. And you're also not a selfish bitch and most definitely Iz, you are not trailer trash. You are not. Okay?"

"Okay," Izzie whimpered, before letting all her stupid emotions overcome her, tears streaming out of her eyes, pasting her eyelashes into triangles. And for the second time that night, she allowed someone to comfort her, to hold her and make her believe it would all be okay.


	7. Chapter 7

**So, once again as I'm lazy, I haven't included any thank yours or notes to all the incredible people reviewing my story, but next update I will! Enjoy!**

Izzie was lying on the couch, a blanket over her head, her eyes squeezed shut. Bailey had sent her home at three thirty that morning. Meredith was in surgery, Alex was on call. She didn't know who to call. Well. That wasn't true. She did know who to call. She wanted to call George. But it was four in the morning, and he lived with Lexie. She could remember being an intern. Sleep was gold and if someone interrupted that sleep, you were not happy, especially if the person doing the interrupting was not a particular friend of yours.

So Izzie clutched the remote tightly in her hands and flicked from an infomercial that swore their product could shave your legs and cut carrots, to a late night show in Chineese.

Izzie had grown up with late night TV. When her mom had boys stay over, Izzie could never sleep. The headboard always banged against her wall and sometimes they fought. So Izzie would drag her teddy bear Freddy into the living room. The two of them would park themselves in front of the TV and watch whatever they could find. As a result, Izzie was always tired in the morning. Her teachers often asked her why she had such dark bags under her eyes, why she sometimes fell asleep during snack time. Izzie's mom never noticed that her four year old daughter was up half the night because of her.

Izzie rolled her shoulders up and down, trying to get rid of this memory. There were memory unwanted memories that Izzie possessed. When she was twelve, she had marveled over the ancient method of locking any worries or bad memories into a mental brain box and then throwing away the key. Izzie tried it every now and then, but she never seemed to be good enough at imagining the box.

The phone rang and Izzie jumped. She didn't want to answer it, in case it was bad news. She stared at it for a while, before cautiously picking it up. "Hello?" She whispered, trying to sound groggy. Make the person feel bad for waking her up.

"Stevens," it was Bailey.

"Doctor Bailey? Why are you calling me?" Izzie bit a hangnail on her thumb.

Bailey ignored her. "They found a heart for Molly. You're going to want to get in here."

"Okay," Izzie said.

"I think she'll be alright," Bailey said.

"Okay," Izzie said again, before hanging up the phone. She threw her blanket off her body and shoved her feet into her shoes, grabbing her coat and a hair elastic before leaving for the hospital. Izzie could only pray that when she got there, things would be okay. Because really, it seemed as though things could only get better from here.

**GAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGA**

By the time Izzie arrived at the hospital, Molly was being wheeled into the OR. "Stevens," Bailey said. "Molly's just going in. You want to say bye?"

"It's not bye," Izzie said.

"You know what I mean."

Izzie bent down to the stretcher. "Hey sweetheart," she said softly to Molly.

Molly was holding Wesley tightly in her arms. "Hi Izzie," she said. "I was worried you weren't gonna get here in time. They have to cut me open again. I don't want 'em to," her voice trembled. "I just want to leave this stupid hospital."

"I know," Izzie took Molly's hand. "But this heart is going to work, okay? It has got to work. And when you come out, you'll be all better. And you can go home with your grandma."

"I don't want to go home with that lady," Molly whispered. "I don't even know her."

"She's very nice," Izzie said. "I promise."

"Not as nice as you."

"I'm sorry," Doctor Bailey said. "We've got to get going. Izzie will see you after your surgery, okay Molly?"

Molly nodded. Izzie squeezed Molly's hand before they took her into the OR. Izzie closed her eyes and she swayed slightly. She felt exhausted and wasn't expecting the hand that landed on her shoulder. "What the hell," she said, turning around.

It was Alex. "Jesus, sorry," he said.

"No, sorry," Izzie said. "I-I'm tired."

"I can see that," Alex said. "Iz, you should sleep."

"But.. but Molly. Her surgery."

"I know." Alex's hand was still on Izzie's shoulder. "But whether you're asleep or not isn't going to change the outcome of what happens. C'mon. You can sleep, in an on call room or something. Just for a little while. Okay?"

Izzie let her body deflate a little. "Okay," she said. "But just a little while."

"Sure," Alex said. He moved his hand away from Izzie's shoulder and walked with her to an empty on call room.

"Alex?" She said, crawling under the blankets.

"Hm?"

"Um.. could you stay? For a little while?" Izzie felt like a stupid six year old that needed her mother to watch her sleep.

"Sure, Iz," Alex bent over and pulled the blankets up to Izzie's chin, before kissing her cheek. "I'll let you know, if anything happens. Okay? But she's going to be fine."

Izzie smiled at Alex, yawned and rolled over, her eyes drooping shut.

Alex was amazed at how beautiful she was, even when she slept.

**GAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGA**

Meredith sat, bouncing her legs up and down, in the gallery. She was watching Molly's surgery. It was rare to get a five year old with cardiomyopathy. It was even rarer for this five year old to get a heart, reject this heart and then find a new heart in less time than it takes to watch a movie twice.

Meredith, as a general rule, did not become overly attatched to patients, like Izzie did. There were a few patients that she truly cared for, some that for whom she mourned the loss of. But she didn't fall in love with them, or take them to the park, the way Izzie did. But Meredith was not a heartless bitch. She wanted this little girl to survive, for her heart to start working, and for her life to stop sucking.

The door of the gallery opened and Alex appeared. "Hey," she said.

Alex nodded at her. "How's it going?"

Meredith shrugged. "Not sure," she bit her lip. "They're just starting. I really hope that it goes well."

"Me too," Alex sat down beside Meredith. "I don't think Izzie can take one more shitty thing happening to her."

"Yeah. Me neither."

They sat in silence for a little while. "So," Meredith asked after a while, "I guess you don't hate Izzie."

"No," Alex said curtly. "I don't hate her."

"That's good. 'Cause I was worried there, for a while. About your anger issues," Meredith smiled, to let him know she was kidding. "So, are you like madly in love with her then?"

Alex shrugged. "Dunno yet."

"So.. maybe?"

"I love Izzie, yes."

"That's helpful," Meredith rolled her eyes.

"What do you mean?" Alex asked.

"Well. I love Izzie. But I am not in love with her and I don't want to marry her."

"Because you and McDreamy are happy and shiny, right?"

"_Bright _and shiny," Meredith corrected. "And no. We are just happy. So are you in love with Izzie?"

Alex poked Meredith. "You're annoying, eh."

"Eh?" Meredith said with disgust. "What are you? Canadian?"

"Whatever. Yes, I'm in love with Izzie. Happy?"

"Yep," Meredith said, settling back into her seat. "Very happy. But not as happy as Izzie will be."

"You are not going to tell her."

"Why not?"

"Because, you're just not. Because, everytime I love someone, they just leave me. They go insane or they get sick. And they leave. And I don't want Izzie to leave."

"Izzie isn't going anywhere," Meredith assured Alex.

"I just don't want to take any chances," Alex said. "None at all. Okay? My mom, I loved her a lot. I was only a kid, a stupid kid, but I loved her. And my dad was an asshole to her. He beat her up and they both did drugs, and they were taken away from me, eventually. And that was only after I really got this love for my mom. I just.. I was amazed by her. And then she left. And I'd like it if Izzie stuck around."

Meredith leaned into Alex gently. "Sorry," she said.

"Yup."

**GAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGA**

George found Izzie sleeping, in an on call room. He was glad to have found her, and he was also glad that she was sleeping. Because as much as George loved being with Izzie, he was exhausted. And he needed to sleep. So he crawled under the covers, and was just relaxing when he heard Izzie's voice from across the room.

"George?"

"Yeah, Iz?"

"Heard anything about Molly?"

George sat up and banged his head on the bunk above him. "No," he said. "I ran into Meredith, she was going to the gallery. They.. the Chief said that it's a risky surgery, because she isn't doing so well. But they think it'll work, because this is a good heart."

"Okay," Izzie murmered.

George knew there was more coming. He was right.

"George?"

"Hm?"

"Remember that time when we had that patient who had gone insane, because he flushed kittens down the toilet?"

George raised his eyebrows. "Yes," he said. "He was a weird one."

"Why do you think people do that?"

"Flush kittens down the toilet?"

"I don't know," Izzie said, a little frusurated. "But.. do you think he was okay? After that?"

"Mentally, you mean?"

"Yeah."

"Well. Sure. I mean, you get over things."

"Not always," Izzie said. George knew what was coming after this. He may no longer live with Izzie, but he knew the way she worked, and he liked to still consider her one of his best friends.

She went over to George's bed. "You don't always get over things. I mean, if someone shot all your friends in front of you, you probably wouldn't get over that."

"True," George said. "But something like flushing kittens down the toilet? I think you'd get over that after a little while."

"Yeah, but if you flushed three kittens down the toilet every day for a year, and then your mom died, you might not get over that."

"Okay," George said. "Izzie?" He said. "You wanna talk about something?" He sat up just as she sat down, so that they were side by side.

"Just.. maybe sometimes things get you. And eventually, after so many things happen to you, it's kind of impossible to repare the damage. Even if you really want to, and you try hard. And maybe there's just a point where you break and you just absoloutely can't try any harder. That's all."

George held his hand out for Izzie. "Yes," he said. "But the man, with the kittens? He was messed up in the head. Really messed up. He wasn't normal. And he was a horrible person, and he was also weak. You, you are not messed up in the head. And while you're sure as hell not normal, because really, who is, you're the strongest person I know, and one of the kindest. So, the stuff that happens, it's awful. But you work through it." Izzie took the hand that George offered to her. He squeezed it tightly and she squeezed back just as tight.

"Next time," Izzie smiled, wiping a few tears away from her eyes, "I guess I'll just ask you if you think I'll be okay."

"Alright," George laughed. "Sounds good."

**GAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGA**

"Grey," Bailey said. "Find Stevens."

"Okay," Meredith said.

The surgery was over.


End file.
